Swift

Sailing Potomac River

Potomac River Day 1

We left Mill Creek around 10AM and headed into Chesapeake Bay and towards the mouth of the Potomac. The weather was much more settled with the wind completely dying as we turned into the Potomac River. Honestly, Day 1 was fairly boring. The shores are far from view and not exciting; there was no wind; and we only saw a few other power boats the whole day.

Sailing the Potomac River
Motor Sailing the Potomac
We found a very lovely anchorage in Breton Bay with a boat ramp to dinghy to for walks. The night was fabulous with a perfectly dark clear night sky - stars and the milky way reflected in the still water. I was surprised to have dark night skies so close to Washington D.C. (70 miles away). It was in the 60s at night so we slept really well!
Breton Bay Anchorage

Potomac Day 2

We did a few boat projects and dinghy-ed to Leonardtown. Neat little town with friendly people. We were lured in to eating at a restaurant with a patio and had an outstanding lunch. Back at the boat, we decided that instead of traveling for a few hours we would chill the rest of the day and do a long day tomorrow. Have I mentioned how lazy we have become?
Leonardtown Wharf

Potomac Day 3


Walking the dog before sunrise - before coffee. Motored back out to the river. I tried to call the Dahlgren Patrol to get clearance before entering the Middle Danger Zone where the military does artillery practice, but had no luck. Hopefully we won’t get shot! We sailed….actually sailed, with sails up and engines off- we hit 8 knots a few times! I even wore a cardigan as it was quite cool and breezy. We had to motor through an obstacle course of crab pots to get to our anchorage. Grumpy Captains app has mostly good reviews except for one, who complained about non stop sirens and burning smells. A look at the chart explains the issue: the otherwise calm and serene anchorage is a danger zone - used by the military to explode ordinance. When explosions are taking place, a loud siren blares and calls over the radio are made to warn boaters.

Potomac Day 4

Fresh water in the upper Potomac!
Up, breakfast, coffee even though it’s already 90 outside - wait - why is it hot again? Dog shore run. We’re off, and due to light and on the nose winds, motor. Mount Vernon. Fort Washington. Airplanes over head. Other boats! I see the Washington Memorial. And there’s the Capitol! Wow. We planned on picking up a mooring, but the marina put us at a slip due to an event the next day. We checked in at the office and the TV is hashing over the same stories they were talking about 3 months ago. We haven’t missed anything.

It’s thrilling and a little terrifying to be in a big city- and not just any city, but the capitol - incredible!

This is the story of Matt, Lucy and Hastings, the crew of the sailing vessel Dulcinea, a 1985 Cabo Rico 38.

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4 comments

  1. The Cynical SailorSeptember 5, 2016 at 8:24 AM

    You got to wear a cardigan!! So jealous. I can only dream of feeling a bit chilly and needing to wear cute, warm cardigans.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Boat Life Larks - S/V DulcineaSeptember 5, 2016 at 9:50 AM

      You won't believe how cute this cardi is! It's a Fluffy material, like a teddy bear. It was short lived though, we've been sweating ever since!

      Delete
  2. LiesbetSeptember 5, 2016 at 3:29 PM

    Enjoy Washington DC (during the cool hours of the day). It is so awesome to be there on your own boat!

    ReplyDelete

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